Have you gotten sick recently? It sucks because, as a college student, you don’t have time to focus on healing yourself. Because of that, you end up being sick a lot longer than you were supposed to be, hacking, coughing and sneezing while trying to also keep your grades up. Getting sick in college is a bummer, but getting sick here in Miami is even worse.
It’s warm here in Miami, so in the winter, it’s not like you get sick because you forgot to bundle up when you went outside. You get sick because a virus managed to one up your immune system. And then, once you have the cold, you wonder how to get rid of it. You’re already in a warm climate, so warming up isn’t going to help. How do you fight this thing? You end up overloading on cough syrup and hoping you can snuff the cold out.
There are a couple of ways that are recommended to help get rid of a cold, but as a college student, we don’t have time to take the recommended steps. News in Health, a monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, provides a few options.
The first suggested solution is to get plenty of rest, which is nearly impossible. There are classes to go to, work to be done and tests to be taken, so there’s no time to lie around and sleep off a cold.
The second tip can actually be implemented to help get rid of your cold: stay hydrated. The University of Miami helps to make this easy by having the filtered hydration stations all over campus. Just grab a water bottle before you leave your dorm and you’re ready to go. If you’re not staying hydrated, it’s all on you.
The third suggested tip to get rid of your cold is something I’ve already mentioned: take medication for your symptoms. This not only makes you feel better, but also helps you concentrate so you can get all your work done without feeling awful.
There are a couple of ways to combat colds as a college student. Since sleeping it off is practically impossible due to our busy schedules, staying hydrated and responsibly medicated are great ways to get rid of your cold faster. These methods will not only help you on the road back to healthy, but also allow you to get all your work done without suffering too much.
Feature image courtesy Pixabay user DarkoStojanovic.